History
The present is defined by events of the past. Orn's history shaped the modern era. There have been 4 major eras of Orn, marked by dramatic changes in the world. Time is reckoned from the founding of the Genari Imperium (Imperial Era, or IE). Events of the more distant past are shown as approximations in the number of years before the establishment of the Imperium. Abbreviated Timeline of Orn Age of Dreams (Dates during the Age of Dreams are unknown. This period predates time and the ordering of the cosmos. All that is known is the sequence of events.) The Dreaming - The beginning was Aether. The Dreamer rested, his Dream taking shape within the formless mist. These Dreamscapes gave birth to the Legion, primal demons of nightmare. The Legion were gifted with the ability to manipulate the Aether themselves. More powerful ones, calling themselves Incarnates, created realms for themselves within the Aether, subject to their own natures and desires. Nightmare War - Most of the Legion was a wild, rapacious horde. They fell upon one another, waging a terrible war amongst themselves and turning the Dream into Nightmare. Odath, an Incarnate, saw the effect the conflict was having on the Dream. He was the first to realize his own existence and that of all his kind was eternally linked to the Dream itself. A threat to the Dream was a threat to themselves and he determined to bring the ceaseless wars to an end. Odath sought out the assistance of other like-minded Incarnates. Each encounter was a risk, he could not be certain any one of them would attack. Many did. When an Incarnate fell, his realm dissolved back into the mists of the Aether. Eventually, a mighty alliance of Incarnates and many minor dream-spawn stood united against the numberless nightmare-spawn of the Legion. They fought for countless eons, bringing stability to one region of the Aether only to have another fall under the relentless onslaught. The Covenant - Those that sided with Odath concluded that they could not defeat the Legion without destroying the Dream, and thus themselves, in the process. They resolved, instead, to create something that would outlast themselves. In desperation, they formed the Covenant, which vowed to create a singular realm with a fixed shape and to fill it with imperfect beings of limited power. The dreams of those that dwelt there would sustain it. The Covenant required that all who agreed to its terms become a part of this shared realm, regardless of differences between themselves. Forging the World - To succeed, each Incarnate would give a vital portion of themselves to this realm, to forever become a part of it and it to become a part of them. Orn gave his heart and hammered it flat, to become the living stone of the world. Jharid plucked out an eye and placed it upon the Irmminsul, the great spire at the center of the world, to light and warm the world. Vyl blew out her life's breath across the surface, giving comfort from the constant glare of the sun. Meryn gave her blood, poured from her veins upon Orn's surface. It flowed and pooled, collecting into seas and rivers. Odath placed the corpse of Lozon above creating the vault of the sky and draped the dead Incarnate of Shadow's gemmed cloak over his body, creating the Veil that shields the world within the Aether. Brynnul the Beast Mother and Keldywar the Oaken Lord were both already greatly weakened in war and were unable to survive the forging. They chose to instead join into a new, singular being after seeding the world with their countless children, becoming Bryn, Incarnate of Wilderness. Finally Odath, who was Death, fractured his own essence to give each new being a soul and a place in the newly established Soulstream. Odath then retired to monitor and maintain the flow of the soulstream. Age of Chaos (As in the Age of Dreams, timekeeping was not regular until late in the age. Dates are approximate) Dragon Rule (-72,000 IE Era) - The first o to awaken upon Orn were the wyrms. Savage dragons with insatiable appetites for wealth and power; they quickly laid claim to all of Orn, bending all other races to their power. The great wyrms ruled over the whole of Orn for untold centuries, enslaving all others for their own glory. Giant Revolt (-30,000 IE) - Powerful though they were, the dragons were not united and often fought amongst themselves. The giants had long suffered under draconic rule, forced to be builders and architects of the many ancient monuments of serpentine glory. Uruk Stonehewer, a favored engineer of Pegantys, the greatest of the Wyrm-Kings, began unraveling the secrets of magic hoarded by the dragons for so long. Using his newfound power, Uruk Stonehewer then coordinated a massive revolt involving many subjugated races, breaking the hold of the dragons forever. Most of the so-called Wyrm-Kings were killed. Surviving dragons retreated to remote places beyond the Crown, the majority of which founded the Horned Council to protect and govern the archipelago which came to be known as the Wandering Isles. Diaspora (-18,000 - -12,000 IE) - The giant, Uruk Stonehewer, would not hold the varied tribes of peoples under his rule following the end of the dragons' reign. They had dreams and needs of their own. He gifted the elders of each tribe a tome of knowledge from the dragons' hoards, spreading knowledge of magic across Orn. He then turned his efforts to holding the many disparate tribes of Giant-kind together. He was successful for many centuries, but was ultimately mortal and died peacefully, passing his power to his six sons and six daughters. These children of Uruk, however, did not share their father's vision of a united people; each favoring their own clans' superiority. This sparked a bloody civil war among the giants. Those that survived fled into the difficult to reach places of the Crown: the lonely islands, frozen glaciers, the high mountains. Bloodstone Ogres settle Dragonspine Mountains Age of Discovery First Kingdoms (-18,000 IE) - In the absence of dragon and giant, the "mortal" races inherited Orn. The Elves claimed a hidden forested valley, the dwarves migrated into and under the mountains, men claimed the wide plains. They were free to pursue their own destinies for the first time since awakening as distinct peoples during the Age of Dreams. Most sought to emulate those that had come before them (Dragon, Giant) in some way. Many minor kingdoms rise and fall across what becomes known as the Crownlands. Welsimber Founded (-17,900 IE) - The Treekith firmly establish their control over the forested valley they called Welsimber. A royal lineage was established that lasted for millennia to come. Udarbrunnr Established (-16,500 IE) - The Stonefolk quickly founded a central hub for their mining and subterranean explorations somewhere under the Dragon's Horn. From Udarbrunnr a vast empire grew, eventually claiming footholds in all regions of the Crown. Bankaru Highlands Settled (-11,750 IE) - Bankaru nomads domesticate wild horses of the highlands, allowing those with access to large herds to dominate and control the entire region. Many local lords arise, encouraging their own clans to wildly differentiate themselves from others. Age of Wonder Foundation of the Imperium (1 IE Era) - Nuryn Genar united the six great kingdoms of the Crownlands as the first Emperor of the Genari Imperium. He names the city of his birth, Both-Grammal, as its new capital. Standards of measure are established as well as a transcontinental trade network. Centuries of prosperity and learning follow. Combined with an alliance with the Bankaru of the western highlands, the Imperium ruled from ocean to ocean, laying claim to the entire Crown. The War of Sparrows (75 - 89 IE) In a bid to supplant the leadership of Welsimber, a dishonored clan of elves began a campaign of assassinations and political incidents designed to cause the Elvish nation to make war upon the new Imperium. While the clan's efforts were doomed to failure, never quite leading to the full scale war they wanted, they forever tainted future relations between the powers and altered the culture of their own people. The Faltheran Islands Unite (472 IE) - The disparate kingdoms of the Faltheran Islands unite into a confederation called the Faltheran Union. They control much of the southeast and enter into a formal relationship with the Genari Imperium. The Crown Wars (1245 - 1295 IE) - The succession was left unclear following the accidental death of Emperor Nuryn Genar XII. No less than three claimants presented convoluted lines of lineage claiming the Eagle Throne. The Empire splintered into several warring faction-states for a period of fifty years. The Thronemeld Accord (1295 IE) - Fifty years of constant warfare had taken a toll on the Imperium. As had become the yearly tradition, delegates were sent to Both-Grammal to deliberate the succession. It was agreed that the Imperium could withstand no further turmoil. They resolved that the strongest two remaining claimants would fight a duel with the victor claiming the Eagle Throne. Barsym the Merciful becomes Emperor, vowing to spend his life restoring the glory of the Genari. Collegia Established (1297 IE) - Wishing to expand the reach of the Grand Athenaeum, the great sage Arthicril convinced the new Genari Emperor Barsym Genar I that a standard education was needed across the realm. While all were required to pay taxes, send troops to the standing Imperial army, and obey Imperial law, each kingdom had been left to instruct their own how best to accomplish this. Six Collegia were established in the kingdoms to educate the nobility and wealthy and to instruct, monitor and regulate the shaping of the Dream (magic). Discovery of Ornite (1307 IE) - Har Indred, the famed Faltheran pioneer, finds a curious crystalline metal growing deep underground while hunting the Blind Worm of the Dolmen Wastes. She takes a sample back to Both-Grammal for study by the White Scribes of the Great LIbrary. There, Arthicril discovers the miraculous power of the material to affect the Dream, ushering a new era of powerful magics. Imperial Constructs Built (1311 IE) - The Sudrik engineer Ceotak uses the newly-discovered mineral Ornite to bring his vision of colossal machines for the protection of the Imperium to fruition. He cements his position as Imperial Engineer when he builds a total of six different constructs, each with different tasks. The Floating City (1332 IE) - The Imperial TInker, Ceotak, had developed a means to suspend large sections of land in the air. Emperor Barsym Genar III orders that the capital be set free to rule the entirety of his dominion. Both-Grammal is broken into many sections, each with scores of buildings built atop them. They are linked together with enormous chains and moving bridges built by the Sudrik. The city is then set free to move about the Imperium. Rise of the Mon Confederation (1780 IE) - Centuries of abuse and corruption by the Genari had disenfranchised many of the Imperium's vassal states. Mon, a charismatic young al-Jharin, in a fit of jealous rage, slew the chieftain of his tribe claiming it for his own. He then began a campaign, quickly consolidating a power base around the Desert of Blood from which he expanded territory, systematically taking pieces the Imperium could no longer hold onto. Within five years, the Confederation ruled half of the continent. Venka's Folly (1785 IE) - Desperate to find a way to stop the rising Confederacy and in the face of growing discontent among the nobility, the Genari Emperor Venka Genar II resorted to a reckless plan; using Ornite to wrest the power of the Dream itself from the Dreamer. His plans went horribly awry, awakening or killing the Dreamer and casting the Dream free. Age of Heroes The Shattering (1785 IE Era) - The Incarnates suffered greatly when the Dreamer disappeared, and found their already diminished forms unable to survive without Him. All but Odath, who stood as a steward maintaining the flow of life on the world, fell into a deep torpor. He watched Lozon's Veil fall, unable to maintain it himself and he despaired at what he saw beyond. The Nightmare Legion had continued their endless conflict beyond the Veil within the Aether. With the Veil finally removed, they could now see the world. As one, they turned hungry eyes upon the creation of the now-torpid Incarnates and swarmed toward it, ravenous and furious. The single moon of Orn was rent and broken by their passing. Great earthquakes tore the land asunder. The seas boiled and fire rained from the heavens. The power of Dream ran wild, magic failed or acted unpredictably, animals were warped and changed into horrific nightmare beasts. The wondrous floating city of Both-Grammal crashed into the Dragon's Horn, bringing its wandering course to an end and scattering the hills with the ruins of the city. The Crownlands were shattered forever, torn from itself and drowned by the oceans. The Sagani, mythical elementalings in the service of the elemental Incarnates, found themselves fighting for survival in realms that were crumbling around them. Those that could, fled to Orn where they were scattered by the chaos of the Shattering. Dawn of the Paragons (1786 IE) - Odath desperately gathered what remnants of divine energy he could from his fading Incarnate brethren. He selected souls of mortals that had become icons and figures of myths and legends, infusing them with power in exchange for fealty and service. They all readily agreed. He then led a new army against the Legion again. The Paragons walked the world in physical form and made war upon the invading Legion. While the Legion had numbers and countless eons of experience, the Paragons had the bolstering power of unnumbered faithful followers and the ingenuity of mortality. Mountains were smashed to rubble and lakes dried up, the face of the world was forever changed by the conflict. When a new god was killed, Odath would collect what essence he could and find other souls worthy. Many Paragons were destroyed, but eventually, the Nightmare Legion was routed and cast into the Aether once more. White Rebellion (1786 IE) - Mirras takes advantage of the chaos rampant across the Crown and declares its independence from the Faltheran Union. The island nation, so far away and struggling with their own trials, allowed the Mirrans to secede without any contest on the condition they would maintain friendly business in the future. Mirras honors the spirit of this agreement into the modern era. Second Covenant (1790 IE) - The last of the Nightmare Legion, the Winter King, is slain by Dogen and Ceotak, finally ending the chaos of the Shattering. Odath then decreed that this new order would form a second covenant and that they place him and their lead. He required that they all submit to his authority and obey his judgement. Having no other option, these new gods, the Paragons, agreed and Odath, Incarnate of Death, became the Paragon of Law and Judgement. The combined efforts of Odath, Findevel, and Tor Carost restored the fallen Veil of Lozon. With the banishment of the Legion and the establishment of a second covenant, the mortals of Orn were able to begin recovering from the destruction of the previous decade. Odath Erects the Cenotaph of Fallen Gods (1790 IE) - Following the reestablishment of Lozon's Veil and the Second Covenant, Odath builds a memorial to the new dieties that fell in the conflict. The Cenotaph stands at the center of the Underworld, a perfectly round spire reaching impossibly high. It is inscribed with the names and accomplishments of each of the Paragons that perished during the Shattering. The Cenotaph is always visible on the horizon in the Underworld. It is used as a common means of navigation in that shadowy realm. New Kingdoms (2330 IE) - In the aftermath of the Shattering and the destruction of the Imperium, many new kingdoms have arisen. They struggle to find new ways of life in the changed world, new alliances and new enemies were been created. Wars were fought and peace was made.